


Mrs Dr K

by defeatedbyabridge



Category: Power Rangers R.P.M.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-16
Updated: 2012-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-02 00:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/363226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defeatedbyabridge/pseuds/defeatedbyabridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why no one came to Alphabet Soup for Dr K. Angst with a side order of schmoop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mrs Dr K

They came to Ellie and Reg after the third time Karen skipped a grade at school. They never gave their names. It was a man and a woman, who sat uncomfortably in the sitting room, with tea in a chipped cup balancing on each set of knees. 

"She's very advanced. She'd fit in perfectly," the woman said firmly.

"She's too young to leave her parents," Ellie protested. Reg nodded next to her, then went off into yet another coughing fit. 

The man took a sip of his tea. Ellie wasn't sure if he was pretending to politely ignore Reg's obvious illness, or if he just didn't care. "Sir. Madam. Your daughter fits our target requirements perfectly. She's bright, young, has an aptitude for every single science she's been introduced to. Add to that the fact that we could take care of her, there. Offer her all kinds of resources." 

He looked around disdainfully at the shabby little sitting room, with the inexpertly-knitted doilies covering the worn sofa arms. Reg wasn't working so much these days, poor love, but he was still doing what he could to help out. 

Ellie swallowed, only too aware of what Karen was missing. The little school was good enough, and heaven knew the teachers were supportive and helpful, but there were only six computers for the entire school, the science lab was tiny, and when Karen had asked to learn the violin they'd only been able to lend her a recorder. 

"No. She needs to be here, with her family," Ellie said, desperately hoping she wasn't being selfish. 

* * * 

It was a lot more difficult when they came back the second time, after Reg died. 

Ellie got home late, as usual, and sighed to herself when she realised just how late it was. She was working two jobs, as a part time cleaner (early in the mornings) and part time receptionist (late in the afternoons), which meant that not only did she have to work about 12 hours each day, but it was split between mornings and evenings so she couldn't get a proper rest OR proper time with Karen. If it wasn't for Mrs Day next door, she never could've managed with Karen. 

She pushed open the bedroom door quietly, and smiled as she saw Karen curled up. She was always a tidy little sleeper, not like her dad used to be. Ellie kissed her on the forehead gently, and took the exercise book out of her hand, setting it down on the desk. The book was full of equations, as usual, in Karen's scrawl. Ellie had done well enough at school, but this was far beyond her. 

"I like rainbows," Karen said suddenly. Ah. A dream, probably. At least this, while random, was something Ellie could actually understand. 

Ellie sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to rest her whole weight on it. She stroked the hair back from her daughter's forehead. "I do, too, love. The refraction effect is lovely." 

"And useful, mama. So many ideas," Karen said, yawning. She grabbed Ellie's hand, laid it against her cheek, and covered it with her own for a moment. "Good night." 

Mrs Day watched, smiling, as Ellie shut the door behind her. "She's been good," she murmured liltingly. "Are you all right? You look like crap, sweetheart." 

"Thank you so much," Ellie retorted wryly, hands on her hips. She was only too aware of her limp hair, and the way the once vibrant blue of her shirt was fading with repeated trips through the washing machine. "Just what I need to hear." 

"Pfft." Mrs Day tugged at Ellie's red jacket until she finally got the idea and let her take it, then she pushed back Ellie's wispy honey-blonde hair. "I left your dinner in the oven. Karen knows to bang on the wall if anything happens when you're at your shift tonight." 

It was a familiar litany, and a familiar routine. Comforting, if not particularly enjoyable. Mrs Day hung up Ellie's jacket for her, squeezed her shoulder briefly, then left to go back to her husband. 

The routine was broken when the knock on the door came while Ellie was halfway through her pasta. 

She nearly didn't answer, but what if it was an emergency? What if someone needed her? If Mrs Day hadn't answered the door that horrible day a month ago when Reg had gone into cardiac arrest... well, he still would've died. But it would've been even harder to bear, harder to cope with poor little Karen's utter silence. 

Ellie opened the wooden door first, and left the wire security door where it was. 

It was the two from the school. 

"We need to come in," the woman said briskly. 

Ellie shook her head. 

Of course, they realised quickly that the security door wasn't secure at all. The lock was broken. Had been for months. They didn't force their way in, but the man opened the door and stepped forward, and the woman followed. Ellie didn't have any choice. 

She led them back into the sitting room, but didn't offer any food or drink this time. "What do you want?" she asked wearily. "Keep your voices down, please, Karen's asleep." 

"We can help you." The woman's expression was a little softer this time. Her face was still bland, still hard to describe without using -ish words. Prettyish, blueish eyes, straightish nose. Nothing firm, nothing definite, nothing that could be used to hang a police description on. "The government pays a stipend to the family of students such as Karen. We know you're struggling, Ellie."

It was the first time they'd used her name. It felt like a violation, but she was just so tired she only nodded. 

The man balanced his briefcase on his lap, and snapped the two locks open. With an actual smile he withdrew a document and handed it to her. 

Ellie gasped. It was every single detail of every single debt she was struggling to pay off. She was still paying for Reg's hospital visits, operations, medications, and would be for the rest of her life, along with the credit card debt and other things they'd amassed when Reg had begun to falter. 

At the bottom was a short paragraph outlining the payments that would be made into Ellie's account every month. Which would easily cover her monthly debts. All she'd have to work for would be food, house maintenance, and so on. 

She could drop one job. 

She could go back and finish her music degree. 

It was perfect. It was horrible. Her hand shot to her mouth, and she shook her head, breathing, "No -- no, I can't do that to Karen. I can't send her away."

"Karen would enjoy it," the man said gently. "An intellect like hers is being stifled at her current school. She'd be useful, and challenged, and appreciated for everything she can do. Not just generically because she's smart. You'd still have contact with her. Visits. Letters. Why don't you ask her?"

He nodded at the doorway behind her. Ellie turned, horrified, to see Karen looking impossibly small in her little blue pyjamas. "It sounds good," Karen said softly. 

Ellie sighed. She gestured Karen over to her, and gathered her into her lap. Karen felt she was too big for such things, but Ellie did it as much as she could. She was still her baby. "Can she leave any time she wants?" Ellie asked, hating the defeat in her voice. 

"Certainly," the man said promptly. "And you're welcome to have our documentation overlooked by a lawyer, of course. Just to make sure it's all nice and legal. No binding contracts. Your contact with her will be limited at first, of course, to allow her to settle in, but you'll still be able to assure yourself that she is indeed comfortable and happy." 

* * *

They took her one day on her way home from school. Ellie walked behind them, wringing her hands, and watched as they found her drawing equations in chalk on the sidewalk. 

She waved, and blew kisses, until the car was out of sight. And then she collapsed in tears. Mrs Day found her, and dragged her home. 

* * * 

For the first month, everything seemed fine. Ellie received the money on schedule, and though she felt morally bankrupt for using her daughter in this way, she rationalised it by thinking of Karen's happiness and that Karen would come back home eventually. Far better to come back to a home that -- while still not luxurious -- was at least all paid for, with appliances that worked. 

Karen spoke to Ellie twice in the first week, three times in the second, once in the third, and not at all in the fourth, but she sent letters. The letters were in Karen's usual freeform mode, with ideas sprouting off all over the place, with arrows and circled sections and little diagrams of things that Ellie could never hope to understand. But they made her smile. 

Ellie rang the school once herself, but was told rather sternly not to do so again unless there was an emergency. 

* * *

In the second month, she heard from Karen less. The letters became simpler and more loving. More 'normal'. 

* * *

In the third month, when Karen's letter referred to Ellie's brother as 'Uncle Brett', Ellie knew damn well something was up. 

Karen didn't have an Uncle Brett. 

She rang the school. The receptionist said something vague about how they were evacuating thanks to a security threat, and she'd be contacted in time. 

She received a packet of documents later with a single phone number to contact in case of emergency only, and some very vague details about the location shift and why it had occurred. In there was a single photo of Karen, seated in a classroom. 

...but when Ellie looked closely, she saw the edge of a National Geographic watermark. It'd been Photoshopped. Ellie didn't have a computer, but she wasn't stupid. She read newspapers, and occasionally magazines. She knew something was up. 

The police were of no help whatsoever. 

* * * 

Ellie scrimped, and she saved, knowing damn well she wouldn't get too many chances at this. She put all her evidence together in a file which she carried with her everywhere. 

She took computer classes, and bought a computer, to see what she could find out online. She was stunned by how simple the internet was, and delighted by the elegant simplicity of programming. She began to teach herself how to get around programming. 

"See? I can get through this firewall easily," she said over her shoulder to Mrs Day, who'd become her greatest strength. "I'm not Karen, but I'm not stupid, dammit. They're underestimating me." 

A pad was suddenly pressed over her nose and mouth, with a sickly sweet smell that invaded her lungs instantly. She flailed, knocking the wireless mouse flying. 

When she woke up, her computer was gone, so was her file, and so was Mrs Day. 

Ellie apparently wasn't the only person underestimating others. She cursed herself for an idiot, clutching her head in pain, then managed to stand up. She still had her money, and her wits, and her new skills. 

She could start again. 

Elsewhere.

She spent years searching for Karen. Years of carefully spending money to get to the right people, to talk to the right sections, to find out what the hell was going on. She found other parents. One father was missing twins, about the same age as Karen. 

* * *

It was frivolous, but she had to do it. So she forked over $600 to the little man behind the counter, and he carefully handed her the secondhand violin. For Karen. 

* * *

Then Venjix hit, and Ellie lost everything. Again. Apart from the violin, which never left her side. 

She'd rebuilt once. She could do it again. 

Ellie found a new home in Corinth, as a cleaner, again. Doing what she had to do, as always. Nothing mattered except finding her daughter, who wasn't dead, couldn't be dead. Not without giving Ellie a chance to apologise, to make things right. 

She began carefully to track down traces, whiffs, of government projects. Karen was so talented she'd have to be involved with the efforts to protect Corinth, surely. 

Ellie was most miffed one day to see the Rangers and make the connection to rainbows. It had nothing to do with her skills. Just serendipity. But she'd take it.

* * *

Ellie took in a deep, deep breath, and tucked an errant strand of wispy hair -- now more gray than blonde, even though she was hardly doddering -- back into her bun. She pressed the button for the security intercom.

"Yes?" The voice was impatient. Ellie nearly turned and walked away, courage failing her, but the voice was also female. Perhaps...

"I'm looking for Karen Murphy," she whispered. 

"No one here by that name," the voice answered briskly. 

Ellie shuddered. "Please!" she shouted. "Please, I'm her mother!" 

There was a long, long silence, and Ellie was nearly ready to give up. Maybe the Rangers were actually elsewhere, or maybe Karen wasn't even involved with the Rangers at all. Maybe it was all an hallucination. Maybe those PEOPLE had killed her, years ago. 

"Come in," the voice said. 

The door rolled up, revealing a long, white space with all kinds of gleaming metallic equipment. There was a petite woman in a chair down the far end, in front of a row of computers. 

There were five people standing in front of her. 

Ellie swallowed nervously, and walked inside. Her heels clacked on the floor. She jumped as the door rolled back down behind her. 

"Who are you looking for?" the one in black demanded. 

"Dillon," the one in red snapped. He turned an apologetic smile on her, but Ellie noted that he didn't get too close, and he kept his hands hanging loosely by his sides. "Hi. We're the Rangers. And I think you have the wrong place."

Ellie shook her head, wishing she could see the woman in the chair more clearly. She took a few more steps. "I, uh, lost my daughter many years ago, and it was all my fault. I've spent a long time looking for her. She'd be eighteen now, incredibly bright and sweet. Her name is Karen." 

"Dr K," the one in green hissed. The one in yellow shushed him. 

"...mama?" 

Ellie tensed, doing everything she can to stop herself from racing over and flinging her arms around the woman. She didn't know this person. She didn't know what kind of resentments she had. She didn't know if she had a right to be sorry. 

The blue one nodded. "We'll leave you two alone, then," and somehow he managed to gather up all of the others and drag them out. 

The room seemed horrifically empty. Ellie swallowed again. "Karen?" she said, meaning to start a matter of fact, apologetic, rational explanation, but then she found herself on her knees in front of the woman, face buried in her skirt, crying uncontrollably. 

After a long moment, she felt a hand stroking her hair. "Mama, is it really you?" Karen said. Her voice was shaky. "I forgot everything. What -- what happened?" 

"Oh, love, they took you from me," Ellie said at last, sitting back on her knees. She couldn't quite meet Karen's eyes. "I thought it was for the best, because you were so sweet about it but so bored at our little school, but then they wouldn't let me contact you, and you just -- you just vanished. I tried to find you. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." 

"Oh," Karen said faintly. 

Ellie stood up, and laid the violin case down carefully next to the computer. "I should go. I'm sorry. This is too much to spring on you. You must be furious at me."

Head bowed, she began to walk towards the door again. 

"I already have one of those." Karen's voice rang out. 

"Oh. Sorry. Keep it anyway?" 

Karen went on, "And your departure would be stupid." 

The words were blunt, but when Ellie turned she saw that Karen was smiling. Just a little, but it was enough -- it was more than enough.


End file.
